


Vengeance

by navywife97



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: Abduction, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama & Romance, F/M, Good versus Evil, Relationship Problems, Separations, Serial Killers, Sex, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28424478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navywife97/pseuds/navywife97
Summary: Serial killer Rosalind Dyer hasn’t forgotten that Caleb Wright failed her...or that Officer Lucy Chen beat her at her own game. Rosalind comes back with a vengeance, determined to win once and for all. As the team races to stop Rosalind, Officer Angela Lopez finds herself at a huge crossroads...both personally and professionally.
Relationships: Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen, Wesley Evers/Angela Lopez
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	1. Request

Sergeant Wade Grey hung up the phone and shook his head as he closed his eyes. He’d just gotten off the phone with the warden at Central California Women’s Facility. He opened his eyes and leaned back in his office chair. He wondered how he’d break the news to them. He wondered what their reaction would be. He wondered why some sick, twisted, psychopath had declared war on two of his best officers. He wondered what was to come. And he wondered how the hell he was supposed to protect them yet again, from someone determined to see their lives ruined...to see them both dead. He wondered if he could protect them again...good luck eventually runs out. 

Officer Angela Lopez knocked on Sgt. Grey’s door, and he waved her inside. Shoving the phone call aside, he motioned for Angela to sit down. Angela sat as she stared at her boss. “Everything ok, Sarge?” Sgt. Grey shrugged his shoulders. “Is it ever? But things are definitely ok for you, Officer Lopez. I have some news for you.” Angela sat up straighter as she prepared herself...expect the worst, hope for the best. Sgt. Grey smiled at her. “You’re in, Lopez. After your little one is born and you’re back from maternity leave, you’re officially Detective Lopez.” Angela’s eyes went wide with excitement as she gasped. Sgt. Grey continued to smile at her. “I’m really proud of you, Angela. And I couldn’t be happier for you. Congratulations.” Angela smiled at her boss as she stood up. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot coming from you.” Sgt. Grey grinned at her. “There’s more news...someone’s already snatched you up.” Angela’s eyes went wide again. “Really?” Sgt. Grey nodded. “Really. Detective Ash Reno has officially requested for you to join him in Major Crimes. His partner, Detective Anna Foster, is transferring to Homicide.” Angela was stunned...talk about being thrown into the deep end. But it was also a plum of an assignment and would be a huge feather in her cap. Angela was thrilled. Sgt. Grey chuckled. “Get out of here, Lopez. Consider this an early birthday present. Go home and celebrate with your husband.” Sgt. Grey stood up and shook Angela’s hand. He smiled as he watched her hurry off, already on her cell phone. His smile faded as he fished his cell phone out of his pocket. Now he had to deliver the bad news. He just wasn’t sure how to do it. He shot a text to another one of his officers, as he flopped back down into his chair. This was really going to suck, bad. 

Ten minutes later, Officer Tim Bradford and his wife, Officer Lucy Chen, walked into Sgt. Grey’s office. Tim and Lucy had been headed to the break room when Tim had gotten the text. Tim smiled at his boss. “You wanted to see us sir?” Sgt. Grey nodded. “Shut the door and have a seat.” Tim and Lucy glanced at each other...they knew that tone of voice. Sgt. Grey kindly smiled at Lucy. “How are the big three, Chen? Everything ok?” Lucy smiled and nodded. “Yes sir, they’re great. Everything is progressing right on schedule...although they’re currently playing soccer in my stomach. Other than that, it’s all good.” Tim glanced at Lucy and chuckled as did Sgt. Grey. But Tim’s smile faded as he looked back at his boss. Something wasn’t right. “Out with it, Sarge. Whatever it is, we’ll handle it.” Lucy glanced at Tim, confused, before she worriedly looked at Sgt. Grey. Sgt. Grey nodded and sighed. “You’re too smart for your own good, Bradford. Ok...here it is. First of all I want you both to know we’re here, all of us, for whatever you need. Second of all, this is a request, not an order. You are free to say no to the request, and frankly, no one would think less of either of you if you did.” Tim and Lucy looked at each other. They were ready...they knew whatever it was, they’d get through it together. Tim glanced at his boss. “What’s the request, sir?” Sgt. Grey glanced between the two of them before he dropped the bomb. “Rosalind Dyer has requested an official visit with Officer Chen.” Sgt. Grey rolled his eyes. “And she ever so thoughtfully included you in that invite Bradford, if you want to go.” Tim and Lucy each reached for the other’s hand as Sgt. Grey waited for the shock to wear off. 

Tim jumped to his feet. “No...hell no! What the hell does that crazy bitch want now? And why Lucy? I thought she had the hots for Nolan?” Lucy stared straight ahead as Sgt. Grey sighed. “I don’t know why, Bradford, she wouldn’t give specifics. But both of you listen to me...I want your full attention.” Sgt. Grey waited until Tim had cooled off and Lucy looked alert again. Sgt. Grey looked at them intently. “You don’t have to accept her request. But this is Rosalind Dyer we’re talking about. We all know she’s got an agenda by requesting this visit...she’s always got an agenda. We all know, no one better than Chen, what she’s capable of.” Sgt. Grey tried to soothe, especially Lucy. “Her visitors, mail, meals, shower time, literally everything she does has been monitored since Caleb abducted Chen. There’s no credible threat to either of you, your families, or colleagues. This could very well be an innocent request.” Tim rolled his eyes. “But you don’t think so.” Sgt. Grey smirked at him. “Of course I don’t. Think it over, give me your decision in a day or two. Now, go home, try to relax.” Tim nodded as he slowly stood up. Lucy looked down at her hands as she shuddered and fought back tears. She absently rubbed her hand over her tummy and felt her and Tim’s babies kicking inside of her. Lucy closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. Would this ever end? 

Half an hour later, Tim and Lucy were arguing in their kitchen. Tim glared at her as he struggled for patience. “Boot...why are you being so damn stubborn about this? There’s no way in hell I’m letting you get anywhere near her!” Lucy rolled her eyes. “We need to go see her Tim...she’s up to something and we need to figure it out before something happens!” Tim shook his head in frustration as he glanced away. Lucy gently turned his face back to hers. “I need to do this Tim.” Tim looked pleadingly at Lucy as he struggled to understand. “Why? For Christ sakes, Luce, why the hell do you need to do this? You almost died because of her! I almost lost you...” Lucy lifted her chin determinedly. “To show her that she didn’t beat me...I beat her. To show her I’m still here. She didn’t win...I did.” Tim sighed in defeat as Lucy framed his face with her hands. “I’m not afraid to face her, Tim. Because you’ll be right there beside me. You’ll protect me...you’ll find me if I get lost. Just like you did before. You didn’t lose me last time, you’re not going to lose me this time either.” Tim looked at Lucy tenderly as she softly kissed his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, then rested his forehead against hers. “Damn straight.”


	2. Everything Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela’s big step forward in her professional life turns out to be a major setback in her personal life. Cheyenne goes out on a date with a guy she goes to college with. And the roller coaster ride for everyone is just beginning.

Cheyenne Bradford, Tim and Lucy’s adopted daughter, was in the library on her college campus. She needed a quiet place to research what felt like the ten millionth paper of her college career so far. She was buried in her laptop and didn’t even notice someone had sat down across from her at the table she was at. She jumped when she heard his voice, and then visibly relaxed when she saw who it was. Hayden Ross, who was in her ethics class and also played baseball for the college they attended, sat down across from her. Hayden was adorable, with his strawberry blonde hair and light blue eyes and athletic build. He’d asked Cheyenne out multiple times, but she’d always declined. She liked him, but her heart belonged to her parents’ colleague, Officer Grayson Wells. But she and Grayson weren’t a couple, at least not yet, and they weren’t at a place in their lives where they could date each other. Cheyenne pushed Grayson out of her mind as she saw Hayden smiling at her. 

Cheyenne shook her head to clear it. “Sorry, what did you say?” Hayden chuckled at her. “I asked you if you want to go grab a burger or something. I’ve been working on this damn paper for hours and I need a break...I’m starving.” As if on cue, Cheyenne’s stomach rumbled, making them both grin; Cheyenne eagerly nodded at him. “You know what? Yes, I’d love to. Apparently I’m starving too.” Hayden tried to control his excitement. “Great! Let’s get outta here.” Cheyenne and Hayden packed up their things and left the library. Cheyenne felt her phone vibrate and fished it out of her bag. She saw she had a text from Grayson, but she ignored it. She smiled at Hayden as they headed for Hayden’s car.

Wesley sat in his living room, sipping a beer, lost in his thoughts. His whole world was crashing down, and he’d never even seen it coming. He closed his eyes when he heard Angela coming into the kitchen from the garage. Angela popped into the living room with a huge smile on her face. “Hey babe!” Angela glanced around the living room, but didn’t see her son anywhere. She looked back at Wesley. “Where’s the baby?” Wesley took a long pull from his beer as he studied her. “He’s at my mom’s.” Angela continued to smile. “Oh...well that’s good, we can celebrate...I have some news!” Wesley set his beer down. “I know...Jackson told me to tell you congrats...when I saw you.” Angela’s smile fell from her face as she saw Wesley’s dulled expression... and the suitcase by the chair he was sitting in. Angela looked at Wesley questioningly. “Wes? Babe, what’s going on?” Wesley frowned at her as he stood up and walked into the kitchen. “You took the promotion, without even telling me. We never even discussed it. And then you told everyone else under the sun before you told me that you took the promotion!” Angela still didn’t get it. “Wesley, what is your problem? You know I’ve been trying to make detective. I’ve been working for it since before we even met!” 

Wesley threw his beer bottle in the trash before he whirled on Angela. “My problem is you never discussed this with me. Things are different now than they were when you started trying to make detective. We’re married...with one child and another one on the way. I’ve had to adjust and make compromises with my career for our marriage and family...but you seem unwilling to do that, ever.” Angela closed her eyes, struggling for patience. “Wesley...ok, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first. I should have. I was wrong about that, and I’m sorry. But I don’t understand why you’re upset that I took the promotion. You knew that was going to happen.” Wesley shook his head in frustration. “Because as usual, you do whatever you want, the hell with what I think.” Angela frowned at him. “That’s not true!” Wesley frowned right back at her. “Oh, really? We live in Los Angeles because YOU want to live here. Don’t get me wrong, I like L.A., but once we started a family, I wanted to move somewhere not quite as big, not as fast paced, and somewhere safer...you shot that down. When Noah offered me a position in his firm, I discussed it with you first. It would have been a much better paycheck, but you shot that down too because you thought the hours would interfere with YOUR job. Whenever Timothy is sick, I’m the one that has to leave work, or call in sick, because you never do! I love you Angela, I just wish our marriage and family were as important to you as your goddamn job is!” Wesley stormed out of the kitchen with Angela hot on his heels, tears streaming down her face. “Wesley! Wait! Where are you going?” Wesley refused to look at her. “My mom’s. Timothy and I are staying there for a while. You can come see him whenever you want.” Angela gaped at him. “You’re not taking my son away from me! You leave him out of this!” Wesley glared at her. “You want me to leave him here with a sitter full time? Screw that. You’re never here anyway. I’m happy for your promotion Angela, really. I know how hard you worked for it and how much you sacrificed. I just wish you weren’t willing to sacrifice our marriage and family for it.” Wesley stepped to her and couldn’t help himself. He kissed her deeply as Angela cried. Wesley felt tears streaming down his face. “I love you, baby. I love you so much. But I’m done with you putting me, us, and our family last. I can’t do that anymore...I just can’t.” And with that, Wesley grabbed his suitcase and left, as Angela collapsed into a puddle of tears.


	3. News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela gives Tim and Lucy the shocking news that Wesley left her. Lucy gives Angela the shocking news about Rosalind. And Grayson gets an unwelcome surprise when he finds out Cheyenne went out on a date.

Angela was sitting in Tim and Lucy’s kitchen, sobbing the whole story out to them. Tim rubbed her back up and down as Lucy fixed them all some tea. “Angela...it’s not anything that can’t be fixed. But Wesley has a point. Your marriage and life together can’t be all about you.” Angela glumly sighed. “I didn’t even realize I was doing that. God...no wonder he hates me.” Lucy brought Angela some tea and rolled her eyes. “Oh, c’mon Ang...you know that’s not true. He loves you. That man would do anything for you.” Lucy handed her a mug of tea. Angela sipped it and sighed, sending Lucy a sad smile of thanks. Angela shook her head. “Well, I definitely have to turn down the promotion. Maybe that will help.” To Angela’s shock, Tim and Lucy both said in unison, “Hell no.” Angela glanced at them, confused, as Tim rolled his eyes. “Angela...that’s definitely the wrong thing to do, and not what Wesley wants. He just wants to be included. And it also sounds like maybe he’s slightly jealous that he had to give up a better job, while you get to take one.” Angela groaned as she finally began to realize her colossal mistake. “I told him not to take that job...I was afraid how it would affect mine. And I just assumed he was still on the same page with me on me making detective. God, I fucked up.” Tim sipped his tea and grimaced at the bitter taste. “Yep, you sure did, Lopez. Because you don’t get to dictate everything that happens. If I recall correctly, you seem to have that same problem on the job. And Wes is on the same page as you concerning your promotion. But it’s not always about you. I’m betting though that Wes loves you enough to forgive you. But give him some time to cool off. And while you’re giving him that time, figure out how you’re going to balance detective, marriage, and kids.” 

Angela nodded as she glanced at Lucy. “Ok, enough about my bullshit. Chen...what’s going on? You’re unusually quiet.” Lucy glanced at Tim before she sighed. “You’re not the only one with news. Sgt. Grey informed us today that Rosalind wants to see me...she made an official request that I have a meeting with her.” Angela’s eyes went wide with shock. “Are you freaking kidding me? Rosalind as in Rosalind Dyer? The same psycho bitch who tried to kill you? No...no way, Chen. You stay away from her.” Tim smirked at Angela. “That’s what I told her. Luce insists on seeing her.” Angela looked at Lucy worriedly. “Lucy...are you sure this is a good idea?” Lucy nodded defiantly. “Yep. She’s up to something. We have to figure out if she’s just screwing with us because she’s bored or if something else is at play here.” Angela nodded and sighed as she sipped her tea. “Unfortunately, you’re right. Be careful with her, Lucy. You know what she’s capable of.” Lucy grimly nodded. Angela stood up and hugged Tim and Lucy. “Thanks for the tea, and the shoulder you guys. Hopefully I didn’t fuck everything up too badly that I can’t fix it.” Tim gave Angela a hard hug. “You got this, Lopez. And Wes is a great guy. He’ll come around.” Angela nodded, hoping Tim was right. She bid them goodbye and headed home. 

Officer Grayson Wells was scowling as some strange guy he didn’t know dropped Cheyenne off at her dorm. Grayson had texted Cheyenne multiple times. When she’d failed to return any of his messages, he’d hopped in his truck to come check on her. He’d arrived and parked his truck just as Cheyenne and Hayden had pulled into the parking lot. Grayson frowned again at the guy who was saying goodbye to Cheyenne. There was something familiar about him, which confused the hell out of Grayson, because he knew he’d never seen the guy before. But there was something about him that made Grayson concerned, and the hairs on the back of Grayson’s neck stood up as the guy turned his face in Grayson’s direction. Grayson watched him drive off and out of sight before he quickly got out of his truck. “Cheyenne! Chey! Wait!” Cheyenne whirled at the familiar voice and saw Grayson jogging across the parking lot towards her. Cheyenne smiled as he approached. “Gray? What are you doing here? Are mumsy and dad ok?” Grayson quickly nodded. “They’re fine. Cheyenne, why didn’t you text me back? Are you ok? And who the hell was that guy?” Cheyenne arched an eyebrow at Grayson’s biting tone. “Wow...are you practicing to be a stalker now? That guy is a friend of mine...his name is Hayden; we just got back from dinner. I didn’t text you back because I was out with him. I was going to text you when I got back. You don’t constantly have to check on me, Grayson to see if I’m still alive.” Grayson stepped closer to her. “You know damn well that’s not the only reason. And since when are you dating someone?” Grayson rolled his eyes and huffed in frustration, trying to tamp down his jealousy. “Never mind I don’t care. But you need to stay the hell away from him. Something’s not right...” Cheyenne bitterly laughed at him as she took a step closer to him. “I think you do care. And my personal life is none of your damn business, Grayson. I don’t answer to you. I appreciate you checking on me, but as you can see, I’m fine.” Grayson rolled his eyes. “Chey...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a jerk, I was worried. But please listen to me. Something is off about that guy. At least let me check him out before you go out with him again.” Cheyenne looked at Grayson intently as the air between them began to sizzle. “If you don’t want me to go out with him, tell me why...the real reason why.” Grayson glanced away as Cheyenne rolled her eyes. “You know why, Chey. But I can’t say it. It’s not fair...to you.” Cheyenne ruefully laughed. “Right. I’m good enough to sleep with when I turn 18 in a few months, but that’s it.” Cheyenne turned to walk away but Grayson grabbed her wrist and stopped her. He turned her around and pulled her towards him, as his voice became whisper soft. “You know how I feel about you, Chey. And you know exactly why I can’t do a damn thing about it right now.” Cheyenne sighed and nodded as Grayson cupped her cheek. “Then you should also know when I finally can do something about it, I damn well will.” Cheyenne bit her bottom lip as Grayson gently kissed her mouth. He eased back, and looked at Cheyenne with concern. “Seriously though, Chey. And I’m not just saying this because I can’t stand the thought of you out on a date with someone that’s not me...stay away from that guy. At least stay away from him long enough for me to check him out. If he checks out, then you can do whatever you want with him. What’s his name?” Cheyenne studied Grayson thoughtfully. Maybe he really was worried, and not just jealous. But she also knew in her heart that he’d always been honest with her, and was always there for her, no matter what. Cheyenne sighed as she answered him. “His name is Hayden. Hayden Ross.”


	4. Dream A Little Dream Of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Lucy visit Rosalind in prison and get the shock of their lives. Cheyenne has lunch with Sgt. Grey.

The next afternoon, Tim and Lucy got out of their truck. They were at the prison that held serial killer Rosalind Dyer. Lucy was about to come face to face with the woman who had almost ended her life. Tim glanced at the prison and then back at Lucy. “You sure you want to do this, Boot? We can leave right now and go back home if you want.” Lucy looked at Tim and smiled. She took his face in her hands and kissed him deep enough, and hot enough to make him moan. She eased back and rested her forehead against his. “I got this, Bradford. Because I have you. I love you so much.” Tim closed his eyes and took a deep breath breath as he shuddered. He wrapped his arms tightly around Lucy as he wished Rosalind Dyer to hell for what must be the millionth time. His voice was raw with emotion as he spoke. “I love you too, Boot. More than you’ll ever know.” Lucy took a deep breath and straightened away from him. She squared her shoulders and smiled. “Let’s do this, Bradford.” Tim smiled back at her. “Ready when you are, Boot.”

Sgt. Grey looked up from his desk and smiled in surprise as he saw Cheyenne knocking on his door. He quickly came around his desk and opened the door. “Well hello there, young lady, this is a treat.” Cheyenne smiled as she walked into his office. “Hi Sgt. Grey.” They hugged each other before Sgt. Grey stepped back and inventoried her. “You’re already off the crutches and out of the sling? That’s impressive.” Cheyenne just laughed at him. “Yep! Only have to wear this stupid walking boot for about 6 more weeks.” Cheyenne had been in a major car accident a few weeks ago, but was recovering well. Sgt. Grey smiled at her. “That’s good news. So what brings you here?” Cheyenne rolled her eyes. “I’m looking for dad and mumsy. We were supposed to meet for lunch but I guess they forgot. Are they here?” Sgt. Grey sighed and wondered what to say. Clearly they hadn’t told her where they’d gone, and they must have had a good reason for it. As Sgt. Grey debated how to answer, Cheyenne raised an eyebrow at him. “Sgt. Grey?” Cheyenne continued to stare at him. “What aren’t you telling me? Where are they?” Sgt. Grey shook his head and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re too smart for your own good...just like your dad.” Cheyenne grinned at him, but continued to stare at him. “I get that a lot... and you haven’t answered my question.” Sgt. Grey sighed as he pointed to a chair. Cheyenne sat down in it as Sgt. Grey went behind his desk and sat down. “For reasons we haven’t determined yet, Rosalind Dyer requested an official visit with your mumsy. Your dad went with her...they’re at the prison right now meeting with her.” Cheyenne did a double take. “Rosalind Dyer? As in the serial killer who arranged mumsy’s kidnapping and tried to have her killed?” Sgt. Grey nodded. “The very same.” Cheyenne shook her head in disbelief. “Why in the world would they agree to that? Dad would never have done that.” Sgt. Grey sighed. “You’re correct. He threw a fit right here in my office when I told him. But your mumsy needed to, for several different reasons, I suspect.” Cheyenne sighed and shook her head as Sgt. Grey defended Lucy. “Chen is right, though. Rosalind Dyer is a very cunning, brilliant, manipulative woman... and she always has an agenda. She didn’t request this meeting just for kicks. She’s up to something, and we need to find out what.” Cheyenne’s mind was racing. Her stomach growled as Sgt. Grey grinned at her. “Well, since your parents stood you up for lunch, do you want to have lunch with me? It’s taco Tuesday at the food trucks, and they’re running a special on their shrimp and steak tacos.” Cheyenne eagerly nodded at him. “Sold.” Sgt. Grey laughed at her as they left his office and headed out. 

Rosalind Dyer smiled as she saw Tim and Lucy approaching her cell. Rosalind studied their body language, their mannerisms, their glances at each other. Well, well, well. So the information she’d been getting on them was correct. They really had gotten married, and from the looks of things, they’d wasted no time starting their family. Seeing Lucy pregnant made Rosalind’s blood boil, as it reminded her of the life she’d once had so long ago. As her blood boiled, her euphoria soared, and the monster inside her laughed. Her plan was working perfectly, and Tim and Lucy clearly had no clue. Vengeance would be hers, revenge would be hers, and victory would be hers. Tim and Lucy stopped in front of Rosalind’s cell. Neither one of them said a word. “Well, well. Hello you two lovebirds. How’s newlywed life? Congratulations on the wedding!” Tim narrowed his eyes at her as Lucy continued to stare at her. Rosalind sent them both a bright, sunny smile. Tim crossed his arms. “We don’t have all day, Ms. Dyer. Why did you want to see us?” Rosalind ignored Tim as she shook her head at Lucy; in spite of everything, Rosalind couldn’t help but admire Lucy’s strength and bravery. “My, my, my, Officer Chen...or is it Officer Bradford now? Still so stubborn, and strong, and obstinate. Just like when Caleb put you in that barrel.” Lucy gasped as Tim glanced at her. “Don’t pay any attention to her, Boot, she’s just trying to get inside your head.” Rosalind chuckled at Tim. “Oh, I’m already there, Officer Bradford, and I have been for a long time.” Lucy looked with disgust at Rosalind as she finally spoke and took a step closer to the cell. “How did you know about the barrel?” Rosalind laughed as she took a step closer to the bars. “You think Caleb was the only one watching? You really think it was his idea to put that camera inside of that dark, cold barrel?” Rosalind glanced away and shook her head as she looked back at Lucy with regret. “I must apologize, Officer Chen. It was never personal, at least not then. You were just a means to an end. I honestly had no desire to end your life...but times change.” Tim moved fast as lightning and jerked Lucy behind him as he glared at Rosalind. “Are you threatening my wife? Are you really stupid enough to threaten a police officer while you’re already in prison?” Rosalind sighed deeply. “I just wanted to congratulate you two on the wedding. You two really are made for each other. You will let me know when the Big Three arrive, won’t you? You’ve already chosen a lovely song for them. Is that what you’ll be singing to them at night at bedtime?” Tim glared at her as Lucy gasped in horror. Tim shoved Lucy completely behind him as he stormed up to the bars. “You come anywhere near my family, and I will end you. You got that? And that goes for any of your fucked up friends too.” Tim turned on his heel, grabbed Lucy’s arm, and all but dragged her down the hallway. As they were walking away, Rosalind began singing, and her melodic voice froze Lucy in place. Lucy slowly turned her head and stared in shock over her shoulder at Rosalind. Tim dragged Lucy down the hallway again as Lucy continued to stare at Rosalind in horror, while Rosalind sent Lucy a chilling smile as she serenaded them as they left. “Stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper I love you, birds singing in the sycamore tree...dream a little dream of me.”


	5. Illusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy is devastated after Rosalind threatened her babies...but is that really who Rosalind threatened? Angela thinks Wesley is cheating on her. But is he really?

Lucy was sobbing and shaking by the time they made it back to the truck. Tim’s arms were locked around Lucy so tightly she could hardly breathe. “She threatened the babies, Tim. She threatened our babies!” Tim rocked Lucy gently in his arms as they sat inside the truck. “It’s ok, Boot. I’ve got you...I’ve got you. She’s just messing with us. She won’t get anywhere near you or our kids. I promise. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or our kids.” Lucy clung to Tim as Tim seethed with rage. How the hell did Rosalind know about the babies? Or the nickname Tim and Lucy had given them? How the hell did she know about the wedding? Who was feeding her info... and why? Lucy looked up at Tim, pleadingly. “Get me out of here...please.” Tim swiftly gave Lucy a hard kiss, before releasing her. “I love you Lucy Chen. And I want you to remember something. You helped me find you when you were in that fucking barrel. You saved yourself. You’re stronger than you realize, and you can handle whatever shit that crazy ass bitch throws your way.” Lucy softly smiled at him as he tenderly kissed her again. “Put your seat belt on, Boot.” Soon Tim and Lucy were speeding away from the prison, with Lucy lost in thought. Rosalind clearly had put another plan into play...but was she really intending to hurt Lucy, Tim, of the babies? Nothing was ever what it seemed with Rosalind. 

Sgt. Grey and Cheyenne were laughing as they returned from lunch. “This Hayden guy sounds alright. Bring him by so I can meet him.” Cheyenne rolled her eyes. “Sgt. Grey, be serious. I’ve only been out with him once, and I’m not even sure it was a date. He’s nice, but...” Sgt. Grey chuckled. “If there’s a but in there, I guess I don’t need to meet him.” Sgt. Grey felt his cell phone vibrate and he fished it out of his pocket as he and Cheyenne walked through the parking lot of Mid Wilshire. “Your parents are on their way back. They should be here in about 45 minutes. You’re welcome to wait in my office for them if you like.” Cheyenne eagerly nodded. “Cool. I have some homework I can do.” They walked inside of Mid Wilshire and headed for Sgt. Grey’s office. 

About an hour later, Tim and Lucy walked inside of Mid Wilshire. Lucy visibly relaxed. She always felt safe here. She and Tim headed for Sgt. Grey’s office. Lucy froze when she saw Cheyenne sitting in Sgt. Grey’s office. Then she all but sprinted and burst into his office and flung herself into Cheyenne’s arms. Lucy sobbed as she tightly hugged Cheyenne, who looked questioningly at her dad. Tim sighed as he gently rubbed Lucy’s shoulders. “Damn...we were supposed to meet you for lunch. I’m sorry sweetheart, we...” Cheyenne just nodded. “I know, you had lunch with a serial killer instead. It’s cool.” Tim turn to glare at Sgt. Grey who rolled his eyes. “She knew I was trying not to tell her. She’s too damn smart for her own good.” Cheyenne eased Lucy back and worriedly looked at her. “Mumsy? Are you ok? What happened? Did that bitch hurt you?” Tim eased Lucy away from Cheyenne and held her tightly against him. He glanced between Cheyenne and Sgt. Grey as he told them what happened at the visit. Cheyenne swore as Sgt. Grey shook his head. “Clearly she’s up to something...but what? She’s too smart to just tip her hand like that.” Tim shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “I’m going to take Lucy to the break room and get her some water. She got so upset on the drive back she puked. We’ll be right back.” 

Cheyenne waited until they were out of sight before she quickly shut and locked Sgt. Grey’s office door. He looked at her in surprise. “Cheyenne?” Cheyenne crossed her arms defiantly and her eyes flashed in challenge as she looked at Sgt. Grey. “I need a favor, a huge, ginormous favor that you won’t like at all. I owe you for the rest of my life, and please spare me the lectures of I’m not a cop yet, and I’m only 17. I’ve heard them enough.” Sgt. Grey cocked an eyebrow at Cheyenne. “Ok...what’s this favor I’m not going to like?” Cheyenne told him, as Sgt. Grey gaped at her. “You’re totally serious.” Cheyenne vigorously nodded. “Please Sgt. Grey. You can pick whoever goes with me. But I need to do this. I already lost one mother, I damn well am not losing another. And you can’t tell dad or mumsy. Please.” Sgt. Grey sighed and nodded; he couldn’t explain why he granted the favor, but something told him to do it. He picked up his office phone and made the call. 

Angela knocked on the door of Wesley’s mother’s house again, but got no answer. She thought she heard voices coming from the backyard, so she hurried around to the back gate to investigate. Her heart broke at what she found. There were Wesley and his mother sitting on the patio, playing with Timothy. And sitting next to Wesley was his very pretty secretary, Lorray Moore, who was making funny faces at Timothy as he laughed. Lorray glanced at Wesley and smiled. “Gosh, Wes, he’s grown so much since the last time I saw him, what a doll!” Wesley grinned at her. “Yeah, he’s growing like a weed.” Wesley glanced over at the sound of the back gate opening and saw a very pissed off Angela. “Oh, hey Ang.” Lorray turned in the direction of Angela and smiled. “Hi Angela! It’s so good to see you! Timothy has gotten so big!” Angela glared at her. “Yes, I know.” Wesley rolled his eyes as he picked Timothy up out of his high chair and brought him to Angela. “Say hi to mommy little dude. Lorray brought some files from the office over.” Angela nuzzled her son as she sent Lorray a frosty smile. “How nice.” Lorray, sensing the tension, quickly made herself scarce. “Well, I better get back to the office. Great seeing you guys!” Wesley took Timothy from Angela and handed him to his mother. “Mom, would you take Timothy inside? Ang and I need to talk.” Wesley’s mother nodded as she reached for the baby. She looked at Angela kindly. “Do you want to stay for dinner, Angela? I’m making spaghetti.” Angela softly smiled at her. “Sure, that would be great, thanks.” Wesley’s mother smiled at her, nodding her approval, as she took a cooing Timothy inside. Wesley waited until his mother was inside and shut the door. He looked down at Angela, who was seething. “Ang...” but that’s all he said before Angela smacked him hard across the face.


	6. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela accuses Wesley of cheating on her, driving them further apart. But Wesley’s mom helps him gain perspective, and he resolves to save his marriage. Rosalind thinks back on her old life, and resolves to get her revenge on Lucy.

“You bastard! You’re so pissed at me for something I didn’t even know I did that you decide to have a fling? Really Wes?” Wesley rubbed his cheek and couldn’t hide the hurt in his eyes...her words had hurt far more than the slap had. “You really are something else, Angela. It’s like we’re back to day 1 of our relationship again. No, I’m not cheating on you. Lorray was here for fifteen minutes to drop off some files I’d left at the office. We were outside with my mom and Timothy the whole time!” Angela looked doubtfully at Wesley as he rubbed his jaw. “You want another real good reason I’m not cheating on you with Lorray? Because her wife wouldn’t appreciate it.” Angela raised her eyebrows in surprise at that. “Oh.” Wesley rolled his eyes at Angela. “Yeah...oh. I’m not cheating on you with anyone. How could you even think I would?” Wesley shook his head in frustration as he sadly looked at Angela. “Do you not yet realize you’re everything in this world to me? You and Timothy and soon to be Drew are my life.” The words tore out of Angela before she could stop them, as tears streamed down her face. “Then why did you leave me?” Wesley sighed as he glanced away. “Because I can’t live as just an afterthought in your life Angela. I don’t have to be the top priority in your life, but I need to be on that list...even if it’s at the bottom.” Wesley shook his head as he walked inside of the house, leaving a tearful Angela wondering how she’d screwed up so badly with him... and wondering how to fix it. 

After dinner, Angela played with Timothy until bedtime. She gave him a bath, and read him a story, and rocked him to sleep. Wesley watched from the doorway as Angela fell asleep with Timothy in her arms, and started forward, but his mother stopped him. She shooed him from the room, as she quietly shut the door. “Let them have some time honey... and hopefully by the time she leaves, you’ll have come to your senses and go with her.” Wesley gaped at his mother. “Me? You think this is my fault?” She shook her head, as she grasped her son’s hand. “Of course not...not totally. But it’s not totally her fault either Wesley. It’s so hard to find the balance in marriage. And no one is able to do it all the time. I admit, I wasn’t sure about Angela at first when you introduced us. But one of my greatest wishes for you has always been for you to find someone who loves you as much as I do, if not more. She’s not perfect...none of us are. But I see how much she loves my son, and my grandson. No one loves you two like she does. Don’t risk losing something that is so hard to find just because mistakes were made. Mistakes can be corrected. I need to go clean up the kitchen.” Wesley watched his mother walk away as he glanced at the closed door. 

A short time later, Angela was walking to her car to leave, when she felt someone grab her hand. She looked up in surprise and saw Wesley. He jerked her away from her car and started dragging her across the large yard, towards the guesthouse by the pool. He flung the front door open, drug her inside, and then slammed it shut. He rammed Angela backwards into it as he crushed his mouth to hers. Angela gasped in surprise as she clung to him. The kiss went on and on as they groped each other. Wesley tore his mouth away from hers as he pushed her sweater off of her shoulders. He framed her face with his hands and saw her unshed tears. “Don’t go home, Angela. Please, Don’t go.” Angela let out a small cry as she hungrily kissed his mouth. “I’m sorry Wes. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you or make you feel like you and Timothy don’t matter to me. You two are my world. Please, please don’t leave me Wes. Please give me another chance. I love you so much. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.” Wesley nuzzled her neck. “I think I’m the one who should be asking you for another chance. I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry I got so mad and overreacted...” Angela threw her arms around Wesley’s neck and kissed him deeply as he moaned. He hungrily returned her kiss as he picked her up and carried her to the small couch in the living room. They made frenzied, passionate love on the small couch. Instead of going home that night, Angela spent the night with Wesley in his mother’s house. As they drifted off to sleep wrapped in each other’s arms, they both felt all was right with the world again. And maybe for them it was...but for others, the world was about to implode. 

Rosalind hummed to herself the same song Lucy had sung when trapped in the barrel. As she lay in her small bed in her cell, her mind drifted to Tim and Lucy... and the Big Three. In the depths of her cold, dead heart, she briefly yearned for the life, and the child she’d once had. But when her child was 3 years old, the monster that lived inside Rosalind Dyer had awakened. It wasn’t long after that that her now ex and very dead husband had fled in the middle of the night with their child. But, no matter...her child was an adult now, and it brought Rosalind enormous pride to know that the monster that lived in her also lived in her child, now a grown adult. Her child had tracked her down, and they were extremely close. Her child would succeed where Caleb had not...and no one would see them coming until it was too late. Rosalind would have her revenge against Officer Lucy Chen...and Rosalind would declare the ultimate victory.


	7. Little Birdie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheyenne goes to see Rosalind in prison, with some major backup. A major piece of the puzzle falls into place for Cheyenne. Cheyenne has a hunch about how Rosalind knows so much about her, Tim, and Lucy, but she decides to get proof before telling anyone what it is.

The next day, Cheyenne was on her way to Central California Women’s Facility. She was accompanied by Officer John Nolan, Officer Jackson West, Detective Nyla Harper, and Officer Grayson Wells. John was driving, and sighed as he looked in his rear view mirror. “Is anybody else besides me more afraid to face Tim and Lucy if they find out what we’re doing, than to face Rosalind in a cage?” Everyone in John’s truck raised their hand, except Cheyenne, who rolled her eyes. “I can handle mumsy and dad.” Grayson, who was sitting next to Cheyenne, huffed in frustration. “Chey, why are you doing this?” Cheyenne looked pleadingly at Grayson...she wanted him more than anyone to understand. “Because I have to, Grayson. I think this is one reason I was spared, when I had my car accident...to protect mumsy. I already lost one mother...I’m not losing another.” Grayson started to say something but Cheyenne glared at him. “If you or anyone else tells me one more time that I’m not a cop yet, or I’m only 17, I’ll knock their lights out. I know what I am... and it’s hell of a lot more than what you or anyone else seems to realize.” Grayson remained silent the rest of the drive as Cheyenne stared defiantly out the window. 

A short time later they arrived at the prison. Everyone climbed out of John’s truck as Grayson frowned at Cheyenne. Nyla rolled her eyes. “Enough, Grayson. Chey needs to do this, even if we don’t understand why, and Sgt. Grey approved it. That’s all that matters.” Nyla looked at Cheyenne before trying to reassure Grayson. “Who knows? No one else has been able to get Rosalind to crack. Maybe Cheyenne will.” Grayson looked doubtfully at Cheyenne who rolled her eyes. Jackson walked over to Cheyenne and smiled encouragingly at her. “You ready?” Cheyenne firmly nodded. “Let’s get this done.” 

Cheyenne, Grayson, John, Jackson, and Nyla walked down the hallway that led to Rosalind’s cell. In true Cheyenne form, Chey had placed herself in front of everyone else, and was first to reach Rosalind’s cell. Grayson grabbed Cheyenne’s shoulder. “That’s far enough.”Cheyenne bit back a retort as Rosalind smiled hugely at her visitors. “Well, what’s all this? I haven’t had this many visitors...ever, I think.” No one said a word as Rosalind and Cheyenne faced each other. Cheyenne kept her features carefully schooled. But she was shocked when she saw Rosalind’s face...she’d seen that face before, on someone else. Was it just a coincidence? Cheyenne doubted it...Tim, Lucy, and Grayson had taught her there’s no such thing as a coincidence. And now certain pieces of the puzzle were falling into place for Cheyenne. As the guilt engulfed her, she pushed it way down deep inside of her. She’d deal with it later. 

Surprising everyone, Rosalind was the first to break eye contact even as Cheyenne continued to stare at her. Rosalind’s smile faltered as she glanced away, but it was quickly back in place as she finally spoke. “How’s volleyball going, Cheyenne? Oh that’s right... you can’t play right now. I hope you’re recovering from your injuries well?” Cheyenne steadily looked at Rosalind, and never flinched. “I am. Thank you.” Rosalind and Cheyenne never broke eye contact as John, Grayson, Nyla, and Jackson glanced at each other. Rosalind laughed coldly. “You’re good Cheyenne, but I’m better. You can’t intimidate me...you’re just a child, you’re not even 18 yet.” Cheyenne tamped down on her urge let loose on Rosalind...she had to play this right. “You’re not the first person to underestimate me, Rosalind.” Rosalind stepped closer to the bars. “You’ve come a long way, Cheyenne. Oh yes...I’ve kept up with you. But you’re not as strong as you think.” Cheyenne stepped closer to the cell, ignoring Grayson’s protests. “I’m stronger than you think, Rosalind. You’re not the first monster I’ve faced. The first one I faced is dead; the second one I faced is in prison.” Rosalind smirked at her. “But you didn’t do that.” Grayson spoke up. “Yes, she did.” Rosalind sighed as she looked at Cheyenne. “If you have something to say to me, Cheyenne, I’m listening.” Cheyenne shot Rosalind a deadly glare that made Rosalind flinch. “You stay away from my family. You stay away from me. You stay away from my friends.” Rosalind cocked an eyebrow at Cheyenne as Cheyenne sent Rosalind a chilling smile of her own. “If you don’t, I will end you.” Rosalind threw her head back and laughed. “Your dad said the same thing to me.” Cheyenne lifted her chin. “Then I’d listen if I were you.” Rosalind sent Cheyenne a genuine smile this time. “You’re not scared of me at all, are you?” The smile fell from Rosalind’s face as Cheyenne sent her an icy glare. “You’re not as good at reading people as you think, Rosalind. I’m terrified of you. But my fear doesn’t paralyze me; it wakes me up...it makes me strong... and it’s why you’ll lose if you get anywhere near me or my family.” Rosalind smiled at Cheyenne. “I look forward to it, Cheyenne. You fly away now, little birdie, fly, fly, fly... and sing from the sycamore tree...dream a little dream of me.” Rosalind started to turn her back on Cheyenne, but Cheyenne’s words froze and infuriated her. “That was off key, Rosalind. I’ve heard my mumsy sing that song before, she sings it much better than you do. Maybe she can give you lessons.” Rosalind glared at Cheyenne as Nyla whispered to Cheyenne. “Let’s go...great job, Chey.”

They made it to the parking lot before Grayson laid into Cheyenne. “What the hell was that Cheyenne? Could you possibly have done any more to get Rosalind to set her sights on you? What the ever loving hell were you thinking? How could you be so damn irresponsible? You know what she did to Lucy!” Grayson was in Cheyenne’s face as Jackson grabbed his arm. “Back off, Grayson. That’s enough.” Grayson stormed away as he shrugged Jackson off of him. Nyla stormed after him as John pulled Cheyenne into a hug. “You did good, Chey. He’ll cool off.” Cheyenne nodded as she fought back tears as she held tightly to John.

Nyla grabbed Grayson by the arm and whirled him around. “What the hell’s the matter with you, Wells?” Grayson glared at her. “Me? I’m not the one who tried to piss off a freaking serial killer!” Nyla rolled her eyes. “Get your feelings out of this and get your head in the damn game. It only gets bumpier from here. Were you not paying attention? Cheyenne got Rosalind to talk...a lot. Rosalind not only knows everything about Tim and Lucy, she also knows everything about Cheyenne. That helps us. It means whoever is feeding Rosalind info on them is part of their inner circle. That greatly narrows it down.” Jackson whistled to them. “Let’s head back, before Tim and Lucy find out where we are.” The ride back was filled with grim tension as Cheyenne basically ignored Grayson and went over and over in her mind what Rosalind had said. Cheyenne had a hunch, and if her hunch was right, she’d have to face the music. She just hoped Tim and Lucy could forgive her. She wanted to tell Grayson about her hunch, and the others as well. But who would believe her without any proof? She thought Grayson at least would have, but as he frequently reminded her, she was only 17, and not a cop yet...they’d all reminded her of that. Cheyenne knew she needed to get some proof to convince them her hunch was right. It was a decision that would put Cheyenne dead center in Rosalind’s sights.


	8. Too Little Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheyenne confirms her hunch. Rosalind escapes from prison. Lucy and the babies lives are in danger. And Grayson pays the price for ignoring Cheyenne when she needed him most.

Cheyenne sat alone in her dorm room. After visiting the ultra creepy Rosalind Dyer, Cheyenne had asked to go back to her dorm room, claiming she had a lot of homework to do. She half expected Grayson to show up...he could always tell when she was hiding something. But after he’d blown up at her, they had basically ignored each other the entire way back to Mid Wilshire, and he hadn’t said a word to her when they’d dropped her off. Thankfully, Nyla had recruited Jase to keep Tim and Lucy busy while Cheyenne had gone to see Rosalind, and they still had no idea Cheyenne had gone to see her. Cheyenne hung her head and wiped away tears. She knew what she had to do. She might not survive it, but her dad and mumsy would... and so would the Big Three. That was enough for Cheyenne. She took a deep breath and raised her head, squaring her shoulders as she wiped her tears away. “Ok...ok. Let’s do this.” Cheyenne jumped off her bed, grabbed her purse and keys, and headed out. 

Half an hour later, Cheyenne had managed to pick the lock on Hayden’s apartment. She knew he wasn’t home, because she’d just talked to him on the phone. Cheyenne had asked him out on a date, but Hayden claimed to have been busy at that moment, but he’d love to see her later that evening. Cheyenne opened the door and slipped inside, quiet as a mouse. She didn’t move for several minutes until she was sure the apartment was empty. Cheyenne began searching as quietly as she dared for proof that would prove her hunch right or wrong. Cheyenne searched the small living area, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom, and found nothing. She stood in the middle of the living room and closed her eyes. “Talk to me mama...help me save mumsy and the babies. Help me find it.” Cheyenne breathed deeply as she opened her eyes. The word ‘books’ had been whispered into her mind. Cheyenne looked towards a small bookshelf that had several books on it. She found that odd, because she remembered how often Hayden had commented how much he hated reading. Maybe he had the books for decoration...but Cheyenne didn’t think so. She stalked to the bookcase and selected a book at random...but found nothing as she flipped through it. It wasn’t until she pulled out a big book that was a dictionary that she hit the jackpot. The dictionary wasn’t a dictionary at all. It was a box disguised to look like a dictionary. And inside it Cheyenne found everything that confirmed her hunch...Hayden’s birth certificate that confirmed Rosalind Dyer is his mother; pictures of Hayden and Rosalind when he was a baby and a toddler. Cheyenne stared at one picture in particular. Rosalind was much younger, and she was holding a laughing baby Hayden high over her head as she smiled at him. To Cheyenne, Rosalind looked like a typical, happy, new mother who adored her baby boy...you’d never guess from the picture that Rosalind would turn out to be a serial killer...or that the baby she was smiling at would apparently follow in her footsteps.

Cheyenne fished through the other pictures and gasped at the picture she found at the bottom...it was a picture of Tim and Lucy, and Cheyenne... and Cheyenne’s new puppy, Chewy. It was taken just the other day, when Tim, Lucy, and Cheyenne had been playing with Chewy in the front yard...that meant Hayden knew where they lived. No wonder Hayden had been trying so persistently to get close to Cheyenne...he was using her to get to Lucy, Cheyenne guessed, under Rosalind’s orders. Cheyenne stuffed everything inside the box and slammed it shut. “No! No...you bastard! You can’t have my family!” Cheyenne quickly fished out her cell phone and called Grayson...but he didn’t answer. She quickly texted him as she rushed out of the apartment with the box. 

Sgt. Grey hung up the phone in his office and sprinted for the roll call room. Shift was over and people were beginning to leave as the next shift was coming in. He frantically glanced around it...but Jase, Lucy and Tim were gone. Nyla glanced over at her boss and frowned at his terrified expression. She immediately stood up and hurried to him. “Sergeant? What’s happened?” Sgt. Grey grimly looked at her. “Please tell me Jase is still here with Tim and Lucy.” Nyla shook her head. “No. They went home...Lucy’s not feeling well, and Jase has left for Montana. Why? What’s wrong?” Sgt. Grey swore. “There’s a fire at the prison where Rosalind Dyer is being held. Everyone has been accounted for...except for Rosalind.” Nyla gasped as she fished out her cell phone. “Oh, God.” Sgt. Grey whistled to get the roll call room to quiet down as Nyla frantically called Jase. “Everyone listen up! We have a crisis situation. Rosalind Dyer has escaped from prison. I want everyone to stop what you’re doing and get to Officer Bradford and Officer Chen’s house, now!” The roll call room erupted into activity as John rushed over his boss. “Sir...what about Cheyenne?” Sgt. Grey pointed to John and Nyla. “You two...go get her, now.” Nyla and John nodded as Mid Wilshire jumped into action to get to Tim and Lucy before Rosalind got to them first. 

Grayson had taken the rest of the day off, using some sick leave, and was at home, laying on his couch, mindlessly channel surfing. He was becoming more and more twisted up because of how he felt about Cheyenne. It had killed him to take her to see Rosalind, and it had infuriated him to see Cheyenne go toe to toe with her. It had also made him enormously proud, and once again, he felt like a complete jerk, because once again, he had underestimated Cheyenne. She was so much stronger, and so much more capable than he was willing to give her credit for or admit. And that’s because if he forced himself to see Cheyenne as a kid, in any way possible, it helped him not cross the major line with her. But it also caused him to hurt her, and that wasn’t acceptable either. He had ignored her phone call earlier and her text. Feeling guilty, he finally read her text... and Grayson felt his heart shatter. “Holy God.” Grayson jumped from the couch, rushed to his bedroom, and grabbed his keys, wallet, badge, a set of cuffs, and off duty weapon and bolted out of his house, not even bothering to lock the door. He sprinted for his truck, praying he got to Tim and Lucy’s house in time. 

Lucy stepped out of the shower, and changed into pj’s after drying off. Tim had run out to get a couple of pizzas for dinner, which was fine with Lucy. She needed some time to herself; she was still upset about her visit with Rosalind. Lucy had left her phone in the kitchen and wasn’t aware of the phone calls or texts that were blowing up her phone. She padded out of the bedroom and smiled when Chewy came running towards her, yapping and pawing at her. “Hi sweet boy...do you need to go potty? C’mon Chewy, let’s go outside and go potty!” Chewy eagerly followed Lucy to the back door, and she opened it, letting him bolt outside to the fenced in backyard. She shut the door as she heard her phone ringing...but by the time she located it on the kitchen counter, it had stopped ringing. She started to pick up her phone when she heard the doorbell ring. She quickly walked to the door and checked to see who it was. Smiling, she unlocked the door and opened it. “Hi Hayden...Cheyenne’s not here. Is everything ok? Would you like to stay for dinner? Tim ran out to pick up a couple of pizzas...” Hayden nodded his head and smiled... and it was the smiled that tipped Lucy off. Lucy had seen that chilling smile before...on Rosalind Dyer’s face. Hayden had his mother’s smile... and Lucy berated herself for not having seen it sooner. Recognition dawned in Lucy’s and Hayden’s eyes at the same time and just as she started to slam the door, he sprang.


	9. A Heroine Rises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheyenne shows everyone what she’s made of when she puts herself in Rosalind’s clutches to save Lucy. Grayson is hot on the trail of Rosalind and Hayden after they abduct Cheyenne.

Cheyenne had reached Tim and Lucy’s neighborhood in record time. She gasped as she saw Hayden carrying an unconscious Lucy to his truck. His brazen move of carrying Lucy out in the open, not caring if anyone saw them, terrified and infuriated her. “Oh no you don’t, you bastard!” Cheyenne gunned the engine and floored it, fishtailing as she reached Tim and Lucy’s house and slammed on the brakes. Her car was half blocking Hayden’s truck as she jumped out of it. Hayden whirled as Cheyenne yelled at him. His eyes went wide...and he froze. He had inherited his mother’s looks, and her smile, and her diseased mind. But he hadn’t inherited his mother’s brilliance. He frantically looked at his truck and shouted. “Mom! Mom...what do I do?” To Cheyenne’s shock, Rosalind Dyer emerged from the front passenger seat, and aimed a gun at Cheyenne. “Put Officer Chen down, Hayden...very gently, on her back.” Cheyenne was frozen to the spot as Rosalind smiled. “I told you I was better than you, Cheyenne.” Cheyenne glared at Rosalind as she watched Hayden put Lucy down. Cheyenne lunged to Lucy and fell to her knees beside her. “Mumsy! Mumsy! Wake up! Please wake up!” Cheyenne was shaking Lucy none to gently as Rosalind rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time for this, Cheyenne.” Cheyenne’s head whipped up and her eyes flashed. She sprang at Hayden, knocking him to the ground before whaling on him. Rosalind rolled her eyes as she stalked to Lucy, aiming her gun at Lucy. “Cheyenne.” Cheyenne’s fists were now covered in Hayden’s blood, as she looked at Rosalind. “Get off of my son, and get in the truck. Or, I’ll put a bullet in your mumsy’s head. It’s your decision.” Lucy was awake now, but groggy. She moaned as she opened her eyes, and gasped when she saw Rosalind. Cheyenne got off of a groaning Hayden, with her hands up. Lucy looked pleadingly at Rosalind. “No...no, please.” Rosalind crouched down and gently caressed Lucy’s cheek as she spoke softly to her. “Shhhh...Officer Chen. It’s alright. I’m not taking you, I’ve had a better idea...I’m taking Cheyenne.” Lucy struggled to sit up as Hayden was finally on his feet. Rosalind looked at her son as she heard sirens in the distance...they were getting closer and closer. “Get in the truck, Hayden...you too Cheyenne.” Cheyenne looked at Lucy as tears streamed down her face. “I love you mumsy. Tell dad and Grayson I love them too. And tell the babies I love them so much.” Lucy sobbed as Rosalind stood up. “Rosalind...please! Take me instead! Let Cheyenne go! Please!” Rosalind simply ignored Lucy as she quickly walked to the truck. Lucy tried to sit up, but whatever Hayden had drugged her with made her so lightheaded and dizzy she couldn’t see straight. Hayden grabbed Cheyenne and shoved her into the backseat as he got in beside her and slammed the door. Rosalind quickly got into the driver’s side and slammed the door. She started the engine and backed into Cheyenne’s car hard enough to knock it out of the way. Lucy finally managed to sit up and screamed. “Cheyenne! Cheyenne! Nooooooo!”

Just as Rosalind floored it out of the neighborhood and around a corner out of sight, Grayson came flying into the neighborhood from the opposite entrance. He floored it into Tim and Lucy’s driveway as he jumped out of his truck, but Lucy shook her head. “Grayson! Go! Go! You can still catch up to them! White F-150 truck, four door, with red stripes on the sides. It’s Rosalind! She and her son took Cheyenne! Go! Go! Go!” Lucy frantically pointed the direction Rosalind had been driving as Grayson jumped back in his truck and took off. Lucy sobbed a prayer. “Oh, please let him find her. Oh Cheyenne...” Lucy struggled to her feet as several patrol cars came zooming down her street. She sluggishly stumbled to the nearest one... and it happened to be Jackson’s. “Get me to the nearest hospital. I’ve been drugged...I’ll explain on the way.” Before Jackson could get out, Lucy had stumbled around to the passenger front seat and climbed in. Jackson hit his lights and sirens and floored it out of the neighborhood.

Grayson was on his cell phone with dispatch giving them a description of the truck Rosalind was driving. He put the phone on speaker as he chased after Rosalind. Grayson managed to stay three cars behind Rosalind, and if she knew he was following her, she gave no indication. Grayson muttered to himself as he kept an eagle eye on the truck. “C’mon Angel. First chance you get, bail out of that damn truck. You can do it Angel. You can do damn near anything.” Grayson slowly followed the truck as it wound through the streets of L.A.

Hayden groaned as he glared at Cheyenne. “You didn’t have to punch me so freaking hard, Cheyenne.” Cheyenne glared at him. “Yeah well, you and your psycho bitch of a mother didn’t have to kidnap me or try to kidnap my mumsy. So fuck off.” Hayden turned his head and glared at Cheyenne...right before he punched her. Rosalind rolled her eyes. “Now kids, settle down. We don’t want to make a scene.” Cheyenne turned her head to glance out the back window of the truck... and that’s when she saw Grayson. Seeing Grayson empowered her. Cheyenne noticed they had just stopped at a red light. Her first instinct was to bail. But she didn’t move. An idea came to Cheyenne. She knew Grayson would follow them as long as he could. If she stayed in the truck, maybe Grayson would follow them long enough for him to get help to her. Cheyenne knew it was risky, but she did it anyway. She knew if she bailed and Rosalind got away, it would give Rosalind another chance to go after Lucy. So Cheyenne stayed right where she was, praying Grayson would figure out her plan.


	10. Race Against Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a race against time to save Cheyenne and recapture Rosalind. Wesley cracks the case wide open as he discovers a major clue about where Rosalind might be headed. Tim gets shocking news at the hospital concerning Lucy and the babies.

Grayson slammed his hand on the steering wheel. “Damnit Chey! Why didn’t you bail?!” Grayson continued to follow Rosalind and alerted dispatch that they seemed to be leaving Los Angeles, headed north towards Santa Ynez. His phone beeped right after the dispatcher confirmed she had received the message. Grayson quickly looked at his phone and saw he had lost service. “Goddamnit!” Grayson threw his now useless phone to the floor as he felt the weight of the world crash down on his shoulders. It was all up to him now; he somehow had to save Cheyenne, and recapture a serial killer and her equally messed up son. Grayson’s heart plummeted as he had no idea how the hell he was going to pull it off.

Tim had rushed through the doors of the ER at Cedars-Sinai and was staring at the doctor in disbelief. “What did you say?” The doctor sighed as he looked at Tim grimly. “Your wife is in labor. We’ve pumped the drugs out of her system, and the babies vital signs are all normal. But the stress of the situation your wife was in triggered early labor.” Tim looked shellshocked. “Doc...it’s way too early. The Big Three aren’t due until May!” The doctor nodded as he tried to soothe. “I know. We’ve given her a drug that will hopefully reverse the labor. But because of this, from now until delivery, your wife needs to be on bed rest. I mean round the clock bed rest.” Tim nodded as he fought back tears. Everything was falling apart around him and he couldn’t do a damn thing to stop any of it. Nyla had brought him to the hospital and had filled him in on everything that happened. He had no idea where Cheyenne was or if she was ok...all he knew was that Rosalind had her, because Cheyenne had saved Lucy by sacrificing herself. And now he and Lucy might lose her and the babies. “If you can’t stop the labor, do they even have a chance of survival?” The doctor sighed and nodded. “Yes...your wife is past the halfway mark in her pregnancy. But if they come this early they will most likely have physical and mental impairments, and they’ll have to be hospitalized for quite a while.” Tim felt the tears leak out of his eyes as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced over and saw Jase. Jase pulled him into a hard hug as Tim struggled to hold himself together. The doctor sighed as Tim let go of Jase. “Pray for a miracle, Officer Bradford...that’s really what you need right now.” Tim nodded as he looked at the floor. The doctor had no clue how right he was. As the doctor walked away, Tim pulled out his cell phone; he called Angela.

Angela gasped as she disconnected the call from Tim. She and Wesley and Timothy had been home for not even a half hour. She rushed into the kitchen where Wes was brewing some coffee. “Wes...we have to go, like right now.” Wesley frowned at Angela. “What’s happened?” Angela shuddered as she spilled the details, and Wesley’s eyes went wide with shock. “Rosalind has a son? How the hell did I miss that?” Wesley was furious with himself. Angela went to him and framed his face with her hands. “We all missed it, Wes. Now you listen to me. You found Rosalind once...you were the one that found her uncle’s farmhouse which led us to Lucy. I need you to find her again, Wes. Cheyenne’s counting on you, and so are Tim and Lucy. You can do it baby, I know you can. We need to go, now.” Wesley nodded as Angela grabbed Timothy out of his high chair. They were out the door in five minutes, racing to Mid Wilshire.

An hour later Wesley threw a file containing information on Hayden across the desk he was sitting at. “There’s nothing here to help us find Rosalind. Damnit, we’re running out of time!” Wesley looked around at the grim faces who all looked as hopeless as he felt. Just then, a rookie patrolman walked into the room, carrying a cardboard box and set it down on the desk in front of Wesley. “These are personal items that were found in the car of the victim. Can one of you take them to Detective Reno? I’m already late for my regular shift.” Angela nodded at the patrolman as Wesley frowned. He had glanced inside the cardboard box as the rookie patrolman had set it down and saw a dictionary...it struck him as odd that Cheyenne would be lugging around a huge dictionary with her. He reached inside the cardboard box as the patrolman started to protest. “Hey! You can’t touch that sir...it’s evidence and it’s Detective Reno’s case.” Wesley glared at the patrolman. “He’s not even here right now...and if we don’t find Cheyenne soon she’s as good as dead. Back off!” The patrolman looked at Angela helplessly as she reassured him. “It’s ok...he’s a lawyer and he’s helped us on cases before. I promise you won’t get in any trouble.” The patrolman nodded and left as Wesley took the dictionary out of the clear evidence bag and pried it open. “Son of a bitch...” Angela looked at Wesley sharply. “What is it?” Wesley looked at her and smiled triumphantly. “It’s a box, not a dictionary.” Wesley glanced at John as he began sifting through the contents of the box. He frowned as he found Hayden’s birth certificate and began reading it.“Nolan...has anyone heard from Wells? Where was he last time he was in contact?” Sgt. Grey spoke up. “Officer Wells gave his last location as headed to Santa Ynez. Why?” Wesley quickly read through the birth certificate and smiled. “Bingo! Right here on Hayden’s birth certificate there’s a residential address listed in Santa Ynez.” Angela looked at the birth certificate and smiled at Wesley. “So Rosalind must have had a home birth. At some point she reconnected with her child, now an adult, and they need a place to go...they went back to the only place they both know; they went home. That’s where they took Cheyenne.” Sgt. Grey got on his radio as a swarm of officers who had stayed over to help find Cheyenne raced to their patrol cars. Sgt. Grey also contacted the California Highway Patrol and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office since it was their jurisdiction. The race was on to save Cheyenne and recapture Rosalind before it was too late.


	11. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love reveals itself in all of its forms as Grayson is in hot pursuit of Rosalind, Hayden, and Cheyenne, Tim and Lucy get news on their babies, the ultimate showdown occurs between Rosalind and Cheyenne, and Jase asks Grayson a question.

Grayson was still following Rosalind, and they had long since left L.A. He was hoping she’d pull in somewhere, but she didn’t. Grayson knew if she hadn’t already, she’d soon realize she was being followed. He had to make a move, now. “Hold on, Angel.” Just as Grayson had come to this realization, Cheyenne had come to the same realization. She wasn’t in L.A. anymore, and the likelihood of help reaching her anytime soon was dwindling. Cheyenne glanced over at Hayden who had fallen asleep. Now was her chance...probably the only chance she was going to get. Cheyenne glanced at Rosalind who had her eyes on the road. Cheyenne quietly tried to open the door, and much to her relief, the child safety locks hadn’t been engaged. Rosalind wasn’t driving very fast on these back country roads so as not to bring attention to herself, so Cheyenne decided to jump; it would hurt, no doubt, but it wouldn’t kill her. Cheyenne briefly closed her eyes, gathering herself. She opened her eyes and flung the truck door open just as Rosalind screamed... and then she jumped.

Grayson couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He slammed on the brakes as Rosalind took off. Cheyenne had bounced and rolled on the hard cement, and was in serious pain. Her head hurt, her hands and elbows hurt, her back hurt, and her recovering shoulder and ankle were on fire. She groaned as she struggled to get up. She heard a familiar voice yelling at her. Just as she staggered to her feet Grayson caught her in his arms. “Chey! God, are you ok?” Cheyenne weakly nodded as she hobbled to Grayson’s truck with Grayson holding her upright. She managed to climb into the truck by herself as Grayson slammed her door. He raced to the other side of his truck and jumped into the driver’s seat. Cheyenne quickly put her seat belt on. “You go get that crazy bitch, Gray! If we lose her she’ll go after mumsy again! Go!” Grayson shook his head and couldn’t help but smile as he stomped on the gas. Grayson glanced at Cheyenne as he raced after Rosalind; he could still see her truck, but it was far in the distance. “So we have a couple of minor problems here...” Cheyenne groaned as she rolled her eyes. “Only a couple?” Grayson smirked at her. “I have no cell service out here. If we stop somewhere and call for help, we’ll lose that crazy bitch. If we go after her, it’s just you and me. I was able to let dispatch know I was headed in the direction of Santa Ynez before I lost service. But that’s the only info they have concerning our location.” Cheyenne huffed in frustration. “Perfect.” Grayson glanced at Cheyenne as he slowly gained on Rosalind. “Are you up to this, Cheyenne?” Cheyenne shrugged her shoulders, and swore as the action shot fire through her injured shoulder. “I guess we’ll see.” Grayson rolled his eyes at her. “That’s a yes or no question, Chey.” Cheyenne firmly nodded. “Then yes. Go get her.” 

Rosalind was seething. Her plan was falling apart and her son had turned out to be just as big a failure as Caleb. She glanced in her rear view mirror and saw Grayson quickly coming up behind her. “Damn!” Just then, her tire blew and she lost control of the truck and ran off the road. Her truck flipped twice before landing on its side. Rosalind had been wearing her seatbelt, but Hayden hadn’t been. Rosalind weakly turned her head and screamed when she saw her bloodied and broken son. “Hayden! Noooo!” It was obvious that Hayden was dead. Rosalind glanced out one of the cracked windows and saw Grayson and Cheyenne jump out of his truck and race towards her truck. She struggled to free herself, but she managed to do it. She climbed out of the passenger side window and began to run. Grayson tried to sprint ahead of Cheyenne but she was too far ahead of him.“Cheyenne! Wait!” So much adrenaline was pumping through Cheyenne she didn’t feel any pain anymore. Grayson swore and took off after Cheyenne. Cheyenne ran for all she was worth and because she was much taller than Rosalind she covered much more ground more quickly than Rosalind could. Cheyenne closed in on Rosalind and launched herself at her, body slamming Rosalind into the hard, rocky ground. Rosalind tried to throw Cheyenne off of her, but she was no match for Cheyenne. Cheyenne ground Rosalind’s face into the ground making Rosalind yelp in pain. Grayson quickly came up behind Cheyenne and yanked her off Rosalind. Then he yanked Rosalind to her feet, and pinned her arms behind her back. He pulled out a set of cuffs he thanked his lucky stars he’d had the forethought to bring... and glanced at Cheyenne. “You want to do the honors?” Cheyenne gaped at him. “Seriously?” Grayson smiled as he shrugged his shoulders. “Well, you can’t read her her rights, but you can help me put the cuffs on her.” Cheyenne eagerly took the cuffs from Grayson and snapped them around Rosalind’s wrists, making them as tight as possible. Grayson read Rosalind her rights as they began walking back to his truck. Cheyenne stepped in front of them and got in Rosalind’s face. “Guess what, Rosalind? You lose...again.” 

Several hours later, Tim was sitting by Lucy’s hospital bed. She was finally sleeping, exhausted from the stress the last couple of days. Doctors had been successful in reversing the labor, so, for now at least, it looked like the Big Three wouldn’t be making an appearance just yet. Tim was all but shattered...he had no idea where Cheyenne was, or where Grayson was, or if Rosalind had been captured yet. No one was telling him anything. And he couldn’t leave Lucy to try and get any info. Tim turned his head and saw Jase quietly open the door. Jase softly whispered to him. “Bro...come out here a minute.” Tim nodded and slowly got to his feet. He shuffled out of the room, just as exhausted as Lucy was. Tim noticed Jase was smiling and wondered what was going on... and then he saw what Jase was smiling about; and Tim broke out into a broad grin as tears streamed down his face. There was Cheyenne, racing down the hallway towards him, with Grayson right behind her. Tim ran towards her and they caught each other as they each started crying. “Oh Thank God, Chey. I thought we’d lost you.” Cheyenne fiercely hugged Tim as she burrowed into his chest. “I’m right here daddy. I’m ok...a little banged up, but I’m ok.” They hugged for several minutes before Tim finally released her and pulled Grayson into a hard hug. “Thank you, Wells; thank you for saving my daughter.” Grayson nodded as he eased back. “Well, I’d like to take the credit, but I can’t. Cheyenne’s the one that got Rosalind; she saved herself.” Tim looked at Cheyenne in disbelief before looking back at Grayson. “What?” Grayson chuckled as Jase came to hug Cheyenne. “It’s a long story, but the short version is Rosalind escaped prison, went after Lucy, Cheyenne got there in time to save Lucy, so Rosalind took Chey instead. I got to your house just after Rosalind had taken off with Cheyenne, and was able to catch up to them. Rosalind wrecked trying to get away, she climbed out of the wreck, and Cheyenne chased her down and tackled her.” Jase grinned at Cheyenne. “You are a total badass, Chey.” Cheyenne laughed as Tim was trying to process everything. He shook his head to clear it. “Where is that bitch now?” Grayson rolled his shoulders as he cracked his neck. “Solitary. And her son is dead; he died in the wreck.” Tim shook his head. “I have way too many questions that I’m too tired to ask right now. Chey...c’mon. Lucy needs to see you.” He glanced at Jase and Grayson as he took Cheyenne’s hand. “We’ll be right back.” They nodded as Tim and Cheyenne went into Lucy’s hospital room. Jase glanced at Grayson. “Does Tim know?” Grayson frowned at Jase. “Does he know what?” Jase laughed at Grayson. “That you’re in love with Cheyenne.” Grayson rolled his eyes, but finally shook his head. “No, he doesn’t, and it needs to stay that way...for now.”


	12. Open Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim tells Lucy to open her eyes, and Lucy and Cheyenne finally have a sweet reunion. As Cheyenne gives her statement to Sgt. Grey it causes everyone to open their eyes and see Cheyenne as more than just a teenager. And Grayson opens his eyes to how badly he messed up with Cheyenne.

Cheyenne sat down on one side of Lucy’s hospital bed as Tim sat on the other. Lucy was sleeping as Cheyenne took her hand. Tim gently stroked her cheek as he softly spoke to her. “Boot...wake up, baby. Open your eyes and look who’s holding your hand.” Lucy moaned and turned her head in the direction of Tim’s voice, as she slowly opened her eyes. “Mmm...what? What did you say?” Tim gently smiled at her. “Look who’s holding your hand, Boot. Look who’s back.” Lucy weakly turned her head and gasped as she saw Cheyenne smiling down at her. Lucy started sobbing. “Chey...oh, Chey. Thank God you’re ok.” Cheyenne flung herself on top of Lucy as Lucy tightly wrapped her arms around Cheyenne. “I’m ok, mumsy, I’m ok. I love you so much.” Tim glanced up and smiled as he saw Jase, and Grayson standing there. Lucy finally eased back as she looked at Tim. “She saved us, Tim. She saved me and the Big Three.” Tim nodded as he smiled at Cheyenne. “She sure did, Boot.” Grayson came into the hospital room then. “Chey, I know it’s late, but are you up to going to Mid Wilshire now, and giving a brief statement? Sgt. Grey just called me and asked. I can take you back to your dorm after that.” Tim spoke up then. “No...if she wants to give a statement now that’s fine. But she doesn’t need to be alone tonight. They probably won’t release Luce until the morning, so take her back home with you, Wells if you don’t mind, or she can go with Jase.” Jase quickly spoke up before Grayson or Cheyenne could. “I actually have to get to Montana for a few days... I was about to leave when all this happened. Let her go home with Wells.” Grayson and Cheyenne quickly glanced uncomfortably at each other, but Tim didn’t notice.

Grayson and Cheyenne walked into Mid Wilshire a short time later. The ride from the hospital to the station had been awkward and uncomfortable for both of them. Neither of them spoke on the ride over, or as they walked into the station. Mid Wilshire was packed with officers who had stayed over to help work the search for Cheyenne, Rosalind, and Hayden. Grayson and Cheyenne reached the roll call room, and Grayson opened the door, letting Cheyenne walk in first. The roll call room erupted into cheers, whistles, and applause as Cheyenne and Grayson looked at each other and couldn’t help but smile. They walked together to the front of the room where Sgt. Grey was standing. He pulled Cheyenne into his arms and hugged her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re ok.” Cheyenne eased back as Sgt. Grey shook Grayson’s hand. “Well done Officer Wells, well done.” Grayson nodded at him and sighed. “It wasn’t me sir...it was Cheyenne. I only followed them. But she’s the one who saved Chen, and she’s also the one who originally figured out who Hayden was... and she chased Rosalind down after the wreck and body slammed her before she could get away.” Sgt. Grey grinned at Cheyenne. “I think we have seriously underestimated you, Cheyenne Bradford.” Cheyenne blushed under the praise being heaped on her as someone shouted from the back of the room. “Yeah! Way to go...Captain Marvel!” Cheyenne turned around and let out a surprised laugh as Grayson chuckled. “I forgot to tell you about that...apparently that’s your new nickname, courtesy of Lopez.” 

Just then, Angela and Wesley rushed to her and they pulled her in for one big hug. Angela closed her eyes as she hugged Cheyenne tightly. “We’re so glad you’re ok Chey.” Cheyenne nodded as she burrowed in. It was late, way past midnight, and Grayson could tell Cheyenne was pushing herself hard, the way she always did. “I think Cheyenne’s had enough excitement for one day. Let’s get this statement done...she needs to rest.” Sgt. Grey nodded and took Cheyenne and Grayson into his office. As Cheyenne gave her statement, Sgt. Grey glanced occasionally in Grayson’s direction in disbelief, pride, and amazement. Grayson would just nod. Cheyenne looked down at her hands as she fought back tears. “I’m sorry, Sgt. Grey. You’ll never know how sorry.” Sgt. Grey frowned at her. “Cheyenne...you just did an incredibly brave thing...what could you possibly be sorry for?” Cheyenne sighed as she wiped a tear away...time to start facing the music. “I’ve had a bad feeling about Hayden for a while now...it’s why I never went out with him up until recently. After I visited Rosalind in the prison, I knew. I knew my hunch was right.” Sgt. Grey glanced at Grayson who was rubbing Cheyenne’s back up and down. “Chey...why didn’t you tell someone? Why didn’t you say anything?” Cheyenne tearfully looked at him. “I was afraid none of you would believe me without proof. You’ve told me so many times I’m only 17, and not a cop yet...all of you have. I was going to tell you once I had proof. But by the time I found it, it was too late.” Grayson sat back in his chair, stung by her words and furious...with himself. He never thought Cheyenne would be afraid to come to him with anything. Sgt. Grey sighed as he looked at Cheyenne. “That’s on us, Cheyenne not you. It sounds like all of us have seriously underestimated you. So, on behalf of everyone, we’re all very sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for Cheyenne. You saved your mumsy, and the babies, and brought down a serial killer...almost at the expense of yourself. You are an amazing young woman, and I hope you know that.” Cheyenne tiredly smiled at Sgt. Grey as he sighed and stood up. “Ok...that’s enough for now. You go get some rest...both of you.” Cheyenne nodded as she and Grayson left his office and Mid Wilshire. Grayson had barely pulled out of the parking lot before Cheyenne had fallen fast asleep.


	13. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After giving her statement, Cheyenne goes home with Grayson. After keeping everything bottled up, Cheyenne breaks down, and as always, Grayson is there to comfort her and lift her back up.

Grayson parked his truck in his driveway and sighed as he leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. He felt so relieved that Cheyenne was safe...and so guilty. In trying to do the right thing and keep his intentions towards Cheyenne mostly honorable he had deeply hurt her, made her doubt herself, and made her doubt that she could come to him with anything. He had really screwed up, even though he’d been trying to do the right thing... and he had to fix it. 

He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Cheyenne who was still sleeping soundly. He reached over and gently stroked her cheek. His voice was soft and raw with emotion as he looked at his angel...his beautiful, avenging angel who was willing to do anything, including sacrificing herself, for the ones she loved. “Wake up, Angel. We’re home.” Home...that word had slipped out before he realized it. Cheyenne softly moaned as she wearily opened her eyes. “Hmm?” Grayson tenderly smiled at her. “We’re ho...here. We’re here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving and I’m worn out.” Cheyenne tiredly nodded as she sadly looked away from Grayson and opened the door, with her shoulders slumped. She climbed out of the truck and shut the door, wearily walking up the small front path to the front door. Grayson quickly followed her and reached over her to open the door and ushered her inside. As soon as the door closed he turned Cheyenne around and hauled her into his arms. The dam in Cheyenne finally broke and a sob escaped her... and then another, and another. She collapsed to the floor, bringing Grayson with her, as she sobbed in his arms.

“I was so scared Gray...I thought...I thought...” Cheyenne hiccuped as she forced the words out. “I thought she’d kill me. When I got in that truck I thought I’d never see you or dad or mumsy again.” Grayson sighed as he rocked her. “I know Angel. I know...it was scary...for all of us. We were all terrified we’d lost you.” Cheyenne sobbed as Grayson buried his face in her hair. “But you listen to me now. You might have been scared Chey, but you got in that truck anyway. You went after another monster, and you won...again. You saved Lucy. You saved the babies. Because even though you’re scared, you’re also brave, and strong. You’re as brave and strong as Lucy. Can’t get any braver or stronger than that.” Cheyenne burrowed into Grayson’s chest as he sighed, tightening his arms around her. “I’m so damn sorry, Chey.” Cheyenne eased back and tearfully looked at him, confused. “For what?” Grayson cupped her cheek and wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb. “For being a dick. I was trying to do the right thing, but I only ended up hurting you. I never, ever meant to hurt you, or make you doubt me, or yourself.” Cheyenne’s expression softened as Grayson poured his heart out. “I was doing what I had to do so I wouldn’t cross a major line with you. Underestimating you was part of that, I guess. But I promise you, I’ll never do that again. Please forgive me, Chey. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll...” Cheyenne launched herself at Grayson before he could say anything else. They hugged each other so tightly it hurt. Several minutes passed, before Grayson finally stood up and pulled Cheyenne to her feet. Grayson yawned hugely as Cheyenne glanced around. “Where’s Sheeba?” Grayson softly smiled at her. “I took her and Chewy to Brenna’s parents’ house. Things were getting crazy, and I didn’t know how long it would take to find you.” Cheyenne burrowed into Grayson’s chest again as he wrapped his arms around her. “I knew you’d find me.” Cheyenne eased back and looked at Grayson. “Are you sleeping on the couch?” Grayson reached out and tucked a lock of her messy hair behind her ear. “Where do you want me to sleep, Chey?” Cheyenne tenderly looked at him. “With me. I trust you, Grayson. I’m just...still a little shaky I guess.” To Cheyenne’s surprise, Grayson didn’t fight her on it; instead, he nodded at her. “Ok. I’m more tired than hungry now, are you hungry?” Cheyenne yawned and shook her head. “I’m too tired to eat.” Grayson chuckled. “Ok.” He nudged her forward to his bedroom. “Let’s go to bed...Captain Marvel.” Cheyenne glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled as he grinned at her. They didn’t even bother getting undressed. They both fell on the bed from sheer exhaustion. Grayson’s eyes were already closed as he lifted his arm and Cheyenne scooted over to him and snuggled against his chest. They were both sound asleep within a few minutes. 

Cheyenne woke up a couple of hours later, screaming. Grayson, who had been awake for a while and was playing games on his phone tossed the phone aside, and hauled Cheyenne tighter against him. “Shhhhh, Angel. I’ve got you, you’re safe.” Cheyenne latched onto Grayson’s voice and clawed her way out of the nightmare. She whimpered as Grayson gently rocked her. “You’re ok, Pickle. It’s just you and me on my lumpy old mattress. You’re safe.” Cheyenne clung to Grayson as he laid his cheek on top of her head. Grayson continued to rock Cheyenne as he joined the long list of people who wished Rosalind Dyer dead.


	14. Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grayson knows that Cheyenne is afraid to tell Tim and Lucy the whole story of what happened. He helps her realize that even at 17, she’s already got the instincts of a veteran cop. Because Cheyenne Bradford is far from the average 17 year old.

Grayson was sitting up in bed, scrolling through his email on his phone, when Cheyenne finally rolled over onto her back and stretched and moaned. She’d slept like a rock after her nightmare, and Grayson doubted she’d have woken up if the house was on fire. But he was glad she got the rest she’d desperately needed, because he’d barely slept a wink. He’d been awake most of the night, reliving over and over again the terrified look on Lucy’s face when she’d told Grayson that Rosalind had taken Cheyenne, the panic that had engulfed him as he’d driven like a maniac desperately trying to catch up with them, and the guilt that had swamped him when Cheyenne had given her statement to Sgt. Grey. Cheyenne slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes as she yawned. She glanced at Grayson as he glanced at her, and they softly smiled at each other. Grayson put his phone on the nightstand and hauled Cheyenne into his arms. “Feel better?” Cheyenne nodded as she sighed. “Yeah. Well...I’m not tired anymore at least. But everything hurts.” Grayson nodded as he rubbed her arm up and down. “I bet. Tell you what...you go take a hot shower, clean out those scrapes and cuts, and I’ll fix us some breakfast. And then we need to talk.” Cheyenne nodded as she slowly disentangled herself from Grayson. She headed for the bathroom while he headed for the kitchen.

A short time later, Cheyenne walked into the kitchen wearing a tee shirt and a pair of sweats that Grayson had let her borrow and squealed with delight, startling Grayson who swore. “Chocolate chip pancakes! Yes...my favorite.” Grayson chuckled at her. “I know. After everything that went down I figured you could use a pick me up.” Grayson brought the plates of pancakes and bacon to the table. Then he walked to Cheyenne and took her hands, examining her torn up palms. He checked her over and shook his head. “You’re lucky you weren’t hurt any worse. After we eat, I’ve got an antibiotic cream with painkiller in it that we’ll put on your cuts.” Cheyenne nodded as they went to the small kitchen table and sat down. Cheyenne eagerly dug into the delicious food...she was starving. Grayson snickered at her as Cheyenne plowed through her food. “Hungry?” Cheyenne nodded and laughed at him as she sipped her coffee. “Starving. So...what do we need to talk about?” Grayson looked at her as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “At some point today, you’re going have to tell Tim and Lucy everything that happened... and they’ll have lots of questions.” Cheyenne glumly nodded. “I know. Just like everyone else they’ll think I just reacted because I’m some reckless teenager.” Grayson sat back and studied her thoughtfully. “But that’s not the case, is it Cheyenne?” Cheyenne looked at Grayson and sighed as she shook her head. 

Grayson popped a piece of bacon into his mouth as he sipped his coffee. “So...explain it to me Cheyenne.” Cheyenne glumly looked at Grayson. “Explain what?” Grayson sighed as he scooted his chair close to her. “Ok...we’ll start with you figuring out Hayden was Rosalind’s son before any of us did. How did you figure it out?” Grayson looked intently at Cheyenne as she shuddered and reached for his hand. “I didn’t at first...I just thought he was strange...nice but strange. We hung out a few times, but just as friends. There was always something off about him. And except for when I went to dinner with him the other night, he always wanted to hang out at my house. And he clung to mumsy...in a weird way. Mumsy thought it was because he was homesick, and he was my friend so she didn’t make a big deal about it.” Cheyenne took a breath and shuddered again. “It was when I went to see Rosalind that it clicked. She and Hayden looked exactly alike...right down to that creepy smile.” Cheyenne looked at Grayson and sought to reassure him. “I think one reason you guys didn’t see it is no one knew Rosalind had a son...and I never brought him around any of you, you didn’t know what he looked like.”

Grayson nodded as he thought about what Cheyenne had told him...it made sense. “Ok...here’s another one for you. After Rosalind wrecked, you were chasing her down before I had a chance to clear her truck. What if she’d had a weapon? What if Hayden hadn’t died?” Cheyenne looked away as Grayson gently took her chin and made her look at him. “You can tell me, Chey.” Cheyenne nodded and sighed. “Rosalind did have a gun. She pointed it at mumsy and threatened to kill her if I didn’t go with them. She put it in the front passenger seat after we left. When I jumped from the truck, Hayden was asleep, and he wasn’t wearing a seat belt. So, I knew at the very least he had been seriously injured in the wreck and wouldn’t be a problem for us trying to get Rosalind.” Grayson studied her thoughtfully. “But you still didn’t know if Rosalind had gotten to the gun or not after the wreck.” Cheyenne frowned at him. “Yes, I did, Gray. I knew she didn’t have it when she crawled out of the wreck.” Grayson raised his eyebrows in surprise. “How could you have known?” Cheyenne sighed as she sipped more coffee. “I looked at her hands as she crawled out of the wreck.” Grayson softly smiled at her. “You did? How did you even know to do that?” Cheyenne shrugged her shoulders. “Just seemed like the thing to do. I saw her using her hands to crawl out of the wreck, and she wasn’t holding a gun as she did it. And then she took off running...if she’d had her gun she’d have tried to shoot us, not run away.” Grayson looked at Cheyenne and was filled with admiration. “And that’s what you need to tell Tim and Lucy. You have incredible instincts, which is something that can’t be taught.” Cheyenne smiled at him as he continued to smile back at her. “I’ve known a lot of good cops, Cheyenne. Some are good at the job because of the effort they put into it. And then there’s people like you...people who were born to do this job.” Cheyenne grinned at him. “You think I’ll make a good cop someday?” Grayson shook his head. “No. You’re already at good, and you haven’t even been trained yet. I think you’re going to make one hell of an amazing cop. Kind of like Dirty Harry meets Captain Marvel.” Cheyenne looked confused as she looked at Grayson. “Who’s Dirty Harry?” Grayson shook his head and laughed as he pulled Cheyenne into a hug.


	15. Winners And Losers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheyenne finally tells the story of everything that happened. Tim and Lucy are shocked and enormously proud of Cheyenne. Tim, Grayson, Lucy, and Cheyenne go to see Rosalind in prison one final time.

Cheyenne was at Tim and Lucy’s house, along with Grayson, Wesley, Angela, John, Jackson, Nyla, and Jase. Cheyenne had just finished telling her story and Tim and Lucy were looking at each other, trying to process everything. Angela chuckled, hoping to break the tension in the room. “Now you see why I call her Captain Marvel.” Everyone chuckled...except Tim and Lucy. Cheyenne was sitting on the floor by the couch that Lucy was stretched out on. She pleadingly looked at Lucy and Tim, who was in the recliner next to Lucy. “I’m sorry guys... I’m so sorry. Rosalind would never have known all that stuff if it weren’t for me. She got all of that info on us because I told Hayden..I thought he was my friend.” Lucy grabbed Cheyenne’s hand. “It’s not your fault sweet pea. You trusted him. And I hope you don’t look at this whole thing as a reason not to trust people. The only person at fault here is Rosalind.” There were mutters of agreement as Tim sighed. “We’re not mad at you sweetheart...but why did you put yourself at so much risk?” Cheyenne couldn’t fight back the tears as she looked at Tim. “I already lost one mother... I couldn’t lose another. I couldn’t lose my family. I had to do something. Things happened so fast, I wasn’t trying to do it alone...” Cheyenne sobbed as Tim pulled her into his arms for a hard hug as Grayson spoke up. “She wasn’t being a reckless teenager, Tim. Chey...tell them what you told me at breakfast.” Cheyenne nodded, and explained why she’d done what she had. Tim and Lucy couldn’t keep the pride off of their faces. Nyla shook her head and laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have any problem at the academy Chey.” Cheyenne laughed at her. “I’m just glad I didn’t have to ride all the way back to L.A. with that crazy bitch.” Grayson nodded in agreement. “I second that. Thanks for finding us, Wes.” Angela smiled at her husband as Wesley grinned. “You’re welcome. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, considering you guys hadn’t made it to the house. Consider it a late Christmas gift.” Everyone laughed as Jackson spoke up. “Well, I’m glad that’s over. Who’s up for pizza?” Lucy shook her head as everyone looked at her questioningly. “Not quite; yes to the pizza, but there’s one last thing Cheyenne and I have to do.” Tim looked at Lucy in surprise. “You’re on bed rest, Boot.” Cheyenne frowned at Lucy as Lucy reached for her hand. 

Two days later, Tim, Lucy, Grayson and Cheyenne were at the prison holding Rosalind. Lucy and Cheyenne walked side by side, proud, strong, and tall, down the hallway leading to Rosalind’s cell, holding tightly to each other’s hands, with Tim and Grayson following them. Rosalind, as usual, had her chilling, sick smile plastered on her face. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Officer Chen?” Rosalind purposely ignored everyone else. Lucy glared at her. “You lose, again, Rosalind. You stay away from me and my family, or I promise, you’ll lose a third time.” Rosalind rolled her eyes as Cheyenne spoke up. “You lost Hayden this time, Rosalind. What will be the price you pay next time?” Rosalind glared at Cheyenne as Lucy cleared her throat, causing Rosalind to glance at her... and Lucy sang her heart out. “Stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper I love you, birds singing in the sycamore tree, dream a little dream of me!” Cheyenne smirked At Rosalind. “I told you that you were off key, Rosalind. Good thing you’ll have lots of time to practice.” Tim chuckled as Grayson snickered while Rosalind seethed. Lucy looked at Rosalind, but didn’t say anything. Rosalind smiled her evil smile as she spoke. “You’ll be hearing from me again, Officer Chen. So will you, Cheyenne.” Cheyenne shrugged her shoulders. “Be my guest. You come as much as you want, Rosalind. You’ll never beat us Bradfords, and eventually, you’ll lose, permanently.” They all turned their back on her and walked away, ignoring her calling out to them. Cheyenne and Lucy walked down the hallway, side by side, still holding hands as they smiled at each other. 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is as excited as I am about the return of The Rookie TONIGHT on abc at 10pm (est.)!
> 
> I’ll definitely continue writing fanfiction for The Rookie.


End file.
